// the function monitors how frequently a webcam is reload.  Too fast creates message

function checkRate() {
	// cookies
	// URL, last load time (seconds), too fast count
	
	webcamURL = getCookie("webcamURL");
	webcamTIME = getCookie("webcamTIME");	
	eCount = parseInt(getCookie("webcamErrorCount"));	
	
	if (webcamURL == window.location) {  
		var now = new Date().getTime();
		elapsed = (now - webcamTIME)/ 1000;
		//alert ("Elapsed Time="+elapsed+ " eCount="+eCount);
		
		if (elapsed < 45) {
			eCount = eCount + 1;
			if (eCount >= 3 ) alert ("The webcams are updated every 60 seconds.  Refreashing faster than that rate provides no value.");
		}
		else {
			eCount = 0;
		};
		
	}
	else {
		eCount = 0;
		//alert ("new cookie");
	};
		
	// set cookies
	var expdate = new Date();
	expdate.setTime(expdate.getTime() + (1000 * 60 * 10 ));  // 10 minutes
	setCookie("webcamURL", window.location, expdate);
	setCookie("webcamTIME", new Date().getTime(), expdate);
	setCookie("webcamErrorCount", eCount, expdate);
	
};